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A continuous motion packaging system for packaging a series of articles in cartons as the cartons are moved along a carton conveyor. A series of selector wedges engage and form groups of articles received on the cartons, which are folded or wrapped about the articles as the cartons are moved forward

A continuous motion packaging system for packaging a series of articles in cartons as the cartons are moved along a carton conveyor. A series of selector wedges engage and form groups of articles received on the cartons, which are folded or wrapped about the articles as the cartons are moved forwardly along a packaging path.

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What is claimed: 1. A method of packaging articles, comprising: moving a series of articles along a packaging path, and engaging the articles with a series of selector wedges to form article groups; depositing each of the article groups on a carton contained within a flight of a carton conveyor; wr

What is claimed: 1. A method of packaging articles, comprising: moving a series of articles along a packaging path, and engaging the articles with a series of selector wedges to form article groups; depositing each of the article groups on a carton contained within a flight of a carton conveyor; wrapping a portion of each carton about the groups of articles received thereon; and as the cartons are wrapped about the groups of articles, moving a cam follower along a cam track, and in response, reciprocating gusset tucking fingers arranged along the selector wedges toward and away from engagement with gussets of the cartons to cause side panels of the cartons to be folded about the groups of articles. 2. The method of claim 1 and further comprising closing a top panel of each carton about each article group received thereon to form an article package. 3. The method of claim 1, and further comprising engaging one of the end panels with the top panel of each carton as the top and end panels are folded toward the group of articles to close the carton thereabout. 4. A method of packaging articles, comprising: moving a series of cartons received on a carton conveyor along a packaging path; engaging the articles with a series of selector wedges as the articles approach a loading position so as to form article groups; depositing each of the article groups on a carton contained within a flight of the carton conveyor; as the cartons, with the article groups loaded thereon are moved by the selector wedges, urging a portion of each carton over the groups of articles loaded therein; and as the cartons are urged over the groups of articles, extending gusset tucking fingers from the selector wedges and engaging and tucking gussets of the cartons inwardly with gusset tucking fingers arranged along upstream and downstream side walls of selector wedges on each side of the flight in which the carton is contained. 5. The method of claim 4 and wherein engaging the gussets of the cartons with the gusset tucking fingers comprises reciprocating the gusset tucking fingers toward and away from engagement with the gussets of the cartons so as to cause side panels of the cartons to be folded inwardly about the groups of articles. 6. The method of claim 4 and wherein urging a portion of each carton over the group of articles loaded thereon comprises folding opposing end panels of each carton upwardly and inwardly toward the group of articles and folding a top panel downwardly toward the group of articles. 7. A system for packaging articles within a series of cartons, comprising: an article infeed conveyor for feeding a series of articles along a first path of travel; a carton conveyor having a series of flights in which the cartons are received and conveyed along a second path of travel; a series of selector wedges fixedly mounted in spaced series along said carton conveyor and defining said flights therebetween, said selector wedges each comprising a body having upstream and downstream walls and adapted to engage and separate the series of articles into article groups received within said flights, and at least one gusset tucking finger moveable between a non-engaging position and an engaging position projecting from said body and into one of said flights so as to engage and tuck a gusset of a carton within said one of said flight as the carton is folded about a group of articles therein; and a guide mechanism mounted along said carton conveyor and adapted to cause the cartons to be folded about the groups of articles in said flights. 8. The system of claim 7 and further comprising a drive mechanism mounted to each selector wedge and linked to said at least one gusset tucking finger for reciprocating said at least one gusset tucking finger into and out of engagement with the gusset of the carton. 9. The system of claim 8 and wherein said drive mechanism comprises a drive shaft extending through each of said selector wedges and connected to said at least one gusset tucking finger, and a cam arm for causing rotation of said drive shaft to reciprocate said at least one gusset tucking finger between engaging and non-engaging positions. 10. A system for packaging articles within a series of cartons, comprising: an article infeed conveyor for feeding a series of articles along a first path of travel; a carton conveyor having a series of flights in which the cartons are received and conveyed along a second path of travel; a series of selector wedges fixedly mounted in spaced series along said carton conveyor and defining said flights therebetween, said selector wedges adapted to engage and separate the series of articles into article groups received within said flights and each including a series of gusset tucking fingers arranged along upstream and downstream faces of said selector wedges and moveable between a non-engaging position and an engaging position projecting into one of said flights so as to engage and tuck a gusset of a carton within said one of said flight as the carton is folded about a group of articles therein; and a guide mechanism mounted along said carton conveyor and adapted to cause the cartons to be folded about the groups of articles in said flights. 11. A system for packaging articles within a series of cartons, comprising: an article infeed conveyor for feeding a series of articles along a first path of travel; a carton conveyor having a series of flights in which the cartons are received and conveyed along a second path of travel; a series of selector wedges fixedly mounted in spaced series along said carton conveyor and defining said flights therebetween, said selector wedges adapted to engage and separate the series of articles into article groups received within said flights and each including at least one gusset tucking finger moveable between a non-engaging position and an engaging position projecting into one of said flights so as to engage and tuck a gusset of a carton within said one of said flight as the carton is folded about a group of articles therein; wherein said selector wedges each comprise a body having upstream and downstream side walls each oriented toward one of said flights, and further comprising a gusset tucking finger received and reciprocally moveable through each of said upstream and downstream walls of each selector wedge, said gusset tucking fingers moving between their engaging position, projecting outwardly from said upstream and downstream walls, and their non-engaging position, retracted through said upstream and downstream walls into said body of each of said selector wedges; and a guide mechanism mounted along said carton conveyor and adapted to cause the cartons to be folded about the groups of articles in said flights. 12. A system for packaging articles within a series of cartons, comprising: a carton conveyor having a series of flights in which the cartons are received and conveyed along a path of travel; a series of selector wedges mounted in spaced series along said carton conveyor and defining said flights therebetween, said selector wedges adapted to engage and separate the articles into article groups received within said flights of said conveyor, said selector wedges each including at least two gusset tucking fingers located along opposite sides of said selector wedges and each moveable between a retracted, non-engaging position and an engaging position projecting into said flights so as to engage and tuck gussets of a carton within each of said flights as the carton is folded about a group of articles therein; and a guide mechanism mounted along said carton conveyor and adapted to cause the cartons to be folded about the groups of articles in said flights; wherein said guide mechanism comprises a folding wheel positioned alone said path of travel and having a series of arms rotated into engagement with an end panel of each carton as each carton is moved along its path of travel so that the end panel is guided upwardly toward a group of articles received on the carton, after which said arms are further rotated to a lowered position to enable said selector wedges to pass thereover. 13. The system of claim 12 and further comprising an article infeed conveyor feeding a series of articles toward said carton conveyor and having a series of lane guides extending across for directing the articles in lines toward a loading position along said carton conveyor. 14. A system for packaging articles within a series of cartons, comprising: a carton conveyor having a series of flights within which the cartons are received and conveyed along a path of travel; an article infeed conveyor adjacent the carton conveyor for feeding the articles onto a base panel of the carton in each flight; a series of selector wedges mounted in spaced series along said carton conveyor in fixed positions along upstream and downstream sides of said flights, said selector wedges adapted to engage and separate the articles into article groups received within said flights of said carton conveyor between said selector wedges, wherein each of said selector wedges includes at least one gusset tucking finger moveable between a non-engaging position and an engaging position projecting into one of said flights so as to engage and tuck a gusset of a carton within said one of said flight as the carton is folded about a group of articles received thereon; and a guide mechanism mounted along said carton conveyor and adapted to engage and cause side and top panels of each of the cartons to be folded about the groups of articles in said flights so as to enclose the groups of articles within their cartons. 15. The system of claim 14 and further comprising: a cam track extending adjacent said carton conveyor, and wherein each of said selector wedges further includes a cam arm linked to said at least one gusset tucking finger and having a cam follower adapted to engage and move along said cam track for moving said at least one gusset tucking finger between its non-engaging position and its engaging position for tucking the gussets of the cartons within the flights as the cartons are wrapped about their article groups. 16. The system of claim 14 and further comprising a pair of drive shafts extending along each of said selector wedges and a series of gusset tucking fingers positioned along opposite sides of each of said selector wedges, said gusset tucking fingers mounted in spaced series along said drive shafts, and wherein said drive shafts are linked to said cam arm for rotating said drive shafts as said cam follower of said cam arm moves along said cam track. 17. The system of claim 14 and wherein said selector wedges each comprise a body having upstream and downstream side walls each oriented toward one of said flights, and further comprising a gusset tucking finger received and reciprocally moveable through each of said upstream and downstream walls of each selector wedge, said gusset tucking fingers moveable between their engaging positions extending from said upstream and downstream walls and their non-engaging position retracted through said upstream and downstream walls into said body of each of said selector wedges.